A Couple of Laid Back Days

Friday, June 19
Yesterday we had a "free day" - a time when nothing is planned for the group and you can do anything you want.  We discovered that what we wanted more than anything was to veg so veg we did!!  We have been on the go so much that time just to not do seemed like the best thing ever.

Frank and Bette called around 1:00 and asked if we'd like go to the Sweet Tomatoes restaurant (a favorite of ours) in Vancouver, Washington so we joined them and enjoyed salad and soup together. Then we check out a place called Fabric Depot that had just an incredible number of different fabrics. It had been recommended by one of the people on our caravan.  It was so much fun just seeing all the types of fabric that are out there.  They were grouped by themes including a fruits and veggies, travel, cats, dogs, western, and so forth.  We did pick up a couple of pieces and then returned.

That was basically the big adventure of the day!!!!!

Today we caravaned to our final campground of this journey - Kampers West Kampground in Warrenton, Oregon.  We are just a short distance from the confluence of the Columbia River and the Pacific Ocean.  Tomorrow we'll be touring by bus some of the significant spots in the area.

Our drive here took us first into an industrial area of Washington along the Columbia River - an area that appeared to be heavy into timber as we saw barges loaded with logs and lots of board feet of wood.  Once we crossed the bridge back into Oregon we traveled along tree lined windy roads.  Misty rains mixed with blue skies and sunshine all the way.

As we reached Astoria, the trees thinned out and we could see more of the Columbia River including tankers.

After settling down, Bette and I enjoyed another game of Pegs and Jokers with Dave and Barb Seaberg.  While we were in the midst of the game, Charlene McCart called.  She and Perry were at the KOA a couple of miles away preparing to host the Oregon Coast Caravan that starts on Wednesday.  They came over for a visit and eventually a wonderful fish meal out at the local restaurant, Buoy 9.  What started as a group of 6 grew to 22.

 It turned out they knew several people on the caravan and they wanted to join us along with others.  It was a wonderful meal!!!! And it was so good to see Charlene and Perry again.  We've not connected since we traveled together on the Alaska Caravan in 2009.